OK, before I get smacked down I wanna let you know I did this as a test.

The manual says run 91 octane. Most people here recommend 91 octane but say that lower octane is ok because the knock sensor will retard the timing, which will result in lower performance but no engine problems.

So, I went from 93 to 89 octane on one and only one tank (I figured wth since gas just jumped 10 cents might as well try).

Results: Performance decreased notably but it still hauls ***.
Engine seems to run quieter and a tad smoother.
I seem to be getting about 3-4 mpg better mileage.

Does this all make sense?

Would coninued usage of 89/87 octane damage the engine?

Mind you I have no desire to reduce performance, it kind of bums me out to not get as much oomf as before, but every once in a while when you have a week where your strapped it would be nice to know I could run 89 or 87 for a tank and get better mileage as well...

 

u cant run lower than 91 forever. however im sure nissan designed the car so that it can have a few tanks run through it lower than 91. i mean honestly, im sure some ppl dont check the pump and add 89 occasionally. doing that, im sure nissan designed the Z so that it wont blow up. i mean if it were that bad what would u do in the case u ran a lower octane fuel twice in a row, do they expect you to just empty the fuel out?

however, knowing u had put in a lower octane i wouldnt run it hard.

john

 

TX has 93, thats pretty cool. Highest we got here in the desert is 91. Well, I would consider maybe once or twice in my G, but I like being nice to it, because it treats me well

 

You could probably run 89 for the life of the car and not physically hurt the motor. Nissan's are particulary sensitive to octane, and really retards the timing. You can lose a lot of performance, but I can't believe you would really hurt the motor.

Keep it in perspective. If you save $.10 per gallon, thats a whopping $1.50 a tank. Just don't buy fries that day and get the premium.

 

Your car would not blow up no matter how many tanks of 89 you ran. You could run 89 for the full life of the car and never have any problems with it. The only difference is that there will be a performance decrease in the car.

 

thank god we have 93 here in LA

 

I agree with what Alang said... pls dont take this as bashing... but if you can afford the car, i don't see what the big deal is to spend an extra couple bucks a week for the octane it was meant to use. Cuz if you were really that strapped for cash, i'm sure there are alot of other things that'd save even more money than using the lower grade gas

 

no no I agree... as I said, this was only a test. I can affor 507 a month, I can afford the gas.

 

I have a question....When you pump gas from a single hose and select your gas grade on the pump do you not get what ever gas the person b4 you pumped? Where is the cut off located?

Does anyone understand what I'm trying to ask here?

 

yeah there must be a gallon or so of the previous gas left in the hose.... no idea...

great question!

 

^this guys got it down.
You could run 87 if you wanted and not hurt the motor. Just dont put load on it. Because the knock sensor will only retard timing so much. . . . you may detonate. And yes, performance loss will be noticeable with lower octane.

 

Wow, i never thought about this before... i'd be curious just how much of the "left-overs" we'd get too.

 

damnit. i'm moving to the west coast next week, and dreading the idea of 91 octane. i wonder how bad the performance loss will be....

 

That is a dam good question. I wondered the same thing... great minds think alike!

 

With all that smog - it likely takes a couple more octane to get the car going good!

 

Whoops! Re-read - first reading thought you mean Smog City ,California - also LA !

 

Id think those tubes would hole maybe a pint or 2; not nearly enough to really throw off the overall octane. given the choice of which side of the street to go to Id take the one with individual pumps; but mostly cause its probably newer.

out of 15gallons; with the difference being 6octane; a couple of pints would affect you by like .15octane.

 

I put 89 in 350 last week. I never will ever ever again the ran like sh%t. It took forever to burn the gas out!

 

I put 89 in 350 last week. I never will ever ever again the ran like sh%t. It took forever to burn the gas out!

 

I put 89 in 350 last week. I never will ever ever again the ran like sh%t. It took forever to burn the gas out!